Behind a 10-1 start, the Gators captured their first SEC East title since 2009 and earned a trip to the SEC Championship Game. Consecutive one-sided losses to end the season raised concerns, but few would argue Year One under McElwain was anything less than a smashing success.

During the fall 1996, the Gators were on their way to their first national championship in football. At the same time, 30-year-old Billy Donovan arrived in Gainesville looking to build a successful men's basketball program.

By the time he accepted a job with the Oklahoma City Thunder last spring, Donovan, a month shy of his 50th birthday, had built the best basketball program in the Deep South and proved men's basketball could thrive at a football school.

During his 19 seasons, UF captured six of the program's seven SEC titles, four of its five Final Fours and both its national titles. Donovan also coached nine of the school's 11 first-round draft picks. Eventually, the NBA itch became too strong.

Donovan's final season saw the Gators finish 16-17 — the program's first losing season since 1998 — a year after reaching the Final Four. But one bad season did nothing to diminish his unprecedented run of success.

•Quarterback Will Grier's suspension.

The Gators were 6-0, back in the top 10 for the first time in more than two years and finally had found their quarterback of the future. Then everything came crashing down.

On Oct. 12, redshirt freshman Will Grier was suspended for violating the NCAA's policy on performance-enhancing drugs. A special season suddenly had gone off the rails. Meanwhile, Grier's career would be put on hold for 12 months — or the middle of next season.

The Gators turned to sophomore Treon Harris, but it soon became clear UF's offense was not the same without Grier. By end of the regular season, Florida could not barely find the end zone.

When the NCAA rejected Grier's appeal to reduce his punishment, the Gators faced the same question they have ever since Tim Tebow left after the 2009 season. Grier was UF's eighth starting quarterback since Tebow's exit.

•Gators return to Omaha.

Coach Kevin O'Sullivan was coming off six consecutive NCAA Tournament losses, including a pair of defeats as the No. 2 overall seed and SEC regular-season champions in 2014. O'Sullivan's success during the regular season and as a recruiter was being overshadowed by these postseason no-shows.

But last spring, O'Sullivan's Gators finally put everything together to return to the College World Series in Omaha, Neb., for the first time since 2012.

A season after UF hit just 24 home runs as a team, freshman catch JJ Schwarz had 18 himself. Shortstop Richie Martin, a first-round pick in June, spearheaded a defense that committed just 42 errors in 70 games — best in the nation. Pitchers Logan Shore and A.J. Puk combined for 20 wins.

It added up to a 52-18 season —one win shy of the school-record 53 in 2011 — and silenced critics of Sullivan's postseason struggles.

•Olympic sports continue dominance.

A national title three-peat in gymnastics and repeat in softball highlighted another banner year for the school's non-revenue sports. UF is the only program in the country that has claimed multiple national championships in each of the last six years.

The Gators did not stop there.

Six SEC titles in 2014-15 (softball, men's swimming and diving, women's tennis, men's indoor and outdoor track and field and volleyball) earned UF the SEC All-Sports title for the 25th time — and ninth year consecutive year.

Florida finished No. 4 in the Learfield Sports Directors' Cup standings and is the nation's only program to finish among the top 10 in national all-sports rankings during the past 32 seasons.

•Other big moments: Dr. Kent Fuchs, who has a background in computer and electrical engineering, takes over as UF's new president and embraces support of the athletics program. . . . Despite playing for interim coach D.J. Durkin at the end of a tough season, the Gators stuck together and won the Birmingham Bowl. . . . The Jaguars selected Dante Fowler Jr. with the No. 3 pick in the 2015 NFL Draft. Fowler tied as the highest Gator ever to be drafted, joining Steve Spurrier (1967), Wes Chandler (1978) and Gerard Warren (2001).